Microsoft Azure DDoS (Distributed Denial of Service) Protection is a feature that safeguards resources from DDoS attacks. Implementing this feature is essential to ensure the availability and uninterrupted service of your applications.
1. Understanding Azure DDoS Protection
Azure DDoS protection comes in two tiers: Basic and Standard.
The Basic service is automatically enabled in Azure, providing DDoS defense for all public IP addresses in Azure at no additional cost. The Standard tier provides advanced DDoS protection policies tailored to Azure Virtual Network resources, defending against larger and more sophisticated attacks.
Here is their comparison:
Features | Basic Tier | Standard Tier |
---|---|---|
DDoS Attack size | Standard multi-Gbps attacks | 1 Tbps protection |
DDoS protection policy | Generalized, static | Resource specific, adaptive |
Attack analytics | Not available | Available |
Cost | Free | Additional charge |
2. Configuring Azure DDoS Protection Standard
To implement Azure DDoS protection Standard, the following steps are required:
- Create a DDoS protection plan
- Associate a virtual network with the DDoS protection plan
- Configure DDoS protection settings on the virtual network
Here’s how to create a DDoS protection plan on the Azure portal:
- In the Azure portal, select ‘Create a resource’.
- Enter ‘DDoS Protection’ in the search box. In the search results, select ‘DDoS Protection Plan’.
- Select ‘Create’ and enter the information for the DDoS Protection Plan and select ‘Review + Create’.
- After reviewing, select ‘Create’ to deploy the DDoS Protection Plan.
After the deployment is complete, the DDoS protection plan can be associated to a virtual network.
To associate a DDoS protection plan to a virtual network:
- In the Azure portal, select ‘Virtual Networks’.
- Select the virtual network that should be associated with the DDoS Protection Plan.
- Select ‘DDoS Protection’ under ‘Settings’.
- Select ‘Standard’ and then select the DDoS Protection plan that was created.
After associating the plan, the virtual network can be configured to use the DDoS protection settings.
3. Monitoring and Responding to DDoS attacks
Azure DDoS protection standard comes with attack analytics and telemetry metrics that offer insights into attack patterns against your resources. You can use these metrics to monitor attacks and plan effective response strategies. Metrics are available through Azure Monitor and Azure Security Center.
To view metrics:
- Open the Azure portal, navigate to the DDoS Protection Plan associated with your virtual network.
- Select ‘Metrics’ under ‘Monitoring’.
- Select the metric ‘Under DDoS Attack’ or ‘DDoS Attack Mitigation Reports’ to view data about the attack.
To respond to DDoS attacks, Microsoft recommends setting up an alert system using Azure Monitor. Alerts can be set for anomalous traffic behaviors, and when triggered, notifications can be sent out for immediate response.
Implementing Azure DDoS Protection is crucial in protecting Azure resources from DDoS attacks. Through appropriate configurations, monitoring, and response strategies, the impact of potential DDoS attacks can be significantly reduced. Implementing these features is a key component in preparing for the AZ-500 Microsoft Azure Security Technologies exam.
Practice Test
True / False: Azure DDoS Protection Basic is automatically enabled in all Azure subscriptions.
- True
- False
Answer: True
Explanation: Azure DDoS Protection Basic is automatically enabled as part of the Azure platform, providing always-on traffic monitoring and real-time mitigation of common network-level attacks.
True / False: Azure DDoS Protection meets all business compliance standards.
- True
- False
Answer: False
Explanation: While Azure DDoS Protection provides robust security measures, the fulfillment of specific business compliance standards also depends on how services and resources are configured in Azure.
What does the Azure DDoS Protection Standard provide that the Basic tier does not?
- a) Application layer (Layer 7) DDoS mitigation
- b) Network layer (Layer 3 – 4) DDoS mitigation
- c) Dedicated service and support
- d) Cost protection
Answer: c, d
Explanation: In addition to the network layer protections offered in Basic, Azure DDoS Protection Standard also includes dedicated service and support, and cost protection in the event of a DDoS attack.
What is the purpose of the DDoS attack telemetry provided by Azure?
- a) To visualize attack metrics
- b) To revoke users’ access
- c) To identify unauthorized users
- d) None of the above
Answer: a
Explanation: DDoS attack telemetry provides detailed insight during an ongoing attack. It helps to visualize the metrics via the Azure Monitor.
True / False: Azure DDoS Protection Standard automatically tunes DDoS policies based on the public IP address attached to the virtual networks.
- True
- False
Answer: True
Explanation: Azure DDoS Protection employs adaptive rate limiting and traffic profiling to automatically tune DDoS policies.
During a DDoS attack, would enabling Azure Application Gateway provide any protection?
- Yes
- No
Answer: Yes
Explanation: Azure Application Gateway, when integrated with web application firewall (WAF), provides protection against web-based attacks like SQL injection and cross-site scripting, and can be useful during a DDoS attack.
What is a disadvantage of the Basic tier of Azure DDoS Protection compared to the Standard tier?
- a) Basic provides less mitigation capacity
- b) Basic does not provide cost protection
- c) Basic requires manual configuration
- d) All of the above
Answer: d
Explanation: The Basic tier is limited in terms of mitigation capacity, does not provide cost protection, and demands manual configuration.
In which Azure service can you monitor active DDoS attacks?
- a) Azure Monitor
- b) Azure Advisor
- c) Azure Security Center
- d) Azure Logic Apps
Answer: a
Explanation: Azure Monitor provides detailed insight into ongoing DDoS attacks.
True / False: Azure Virtual Networks come with Azure DDoS Protection Basic at no additional cost.
- True
- False
Answer: True
Explanation: Azure DDoS Protection Basic is part of the Azure platform and comes at no additional cost.
What should be created to enable DDoS Protection Standard for a virtual network?
- a) DDoS protection plan
- b) Azure Policy
- c) Azure Logic App
- d) Azure Advisor recommendation
Answer: a
Explanation: A DDoS protection plan must be created to use DDoS Protection Standard.
Interview Questions
What is Azure DDoS Protection?
Azure DDoS Protection is a feature designed to protect resources from denial of service (DoS) attacks. It uses adaptive tuning, rate limiting, and anomaly detection to mitigate and prevent impact on resources.
What are the two service tiers available for Azure DDoS Protection?
The two service tiers available are: Basic and Standard. The Basic service tier is automatically enabled as part of the Azure platform. However, the Standard service tier is a paid offering providing advanced DDoS protection features.
What kind of DDoS attacks can Azure DDoS Protection prevent?
Azure DDoS Protection can prevent three types of DDoS attacks: Volumetric attacks, Protocol attacks, and Resource (Application) Layer attacks.
How does Azure DDoS Protection Standard differ from Basic?
Azure DDoS Protection Standard provides additional defense mechanisms like machine learning-driven DDoS protection policies, cost protection, and incident response support. Basic only provides protection from volumetric, protocol, and synthetic network attacks.
Is there any cost protection in Azure DDoS Standard?
Yes, if a DDoS attack affects your resources and increases your Azure bill, Azure DDoS Protection Standard offers cost protection to cover these extra costs.
Does Azure DDoS Standard offer Intelligent Threat Detection?
Yes, Azure DDoS Standard uses machine learning algorithms to differentiate between legitimate traffic and malicious traffic, providing Intelligent Threat Detection.
In which Azure resource can DDoS protection standard be configured?
DDoS Protection Standard can be configured at the Virtual Network level.
Can the DDoS Protection plan be changed from Basic to Standard anytime?
Yes, the DDoS Protection can be upgraded from Basic to Standard, or vice-versa, anytime without any downtime.
Is there a specific method to enable Azure DDoS Protection Standard?
Yes, Azure DDoS Protection Standard is enabled by configuring a DDoS protection plan in the resource management group of a virtual network.
Can Azure DDoS Protection help in incident response?
Yes, with the Azure DDoS Rapid Response team, Azure DDoS Protection Standard can provide assistance during an ongoing attack.
Can Azure DDoS Protection Standard work with Azure Application Gateway Web Application Firewall?
Yes, Azure DDoS Protection Standard can be integrated with Azure Application Gateway Web Application Firewall for more comprehensive protection.
Is there a provision for monitoring DDoS activities?
Yes, with Azure Monitor, users can monitor and alert on DDoS-related metrics and logs.
Is there a way to test the efficacy of the Azure DDoS Protection Standard?
Microsoft’s DDoS Protection Test can simulate DDoS attacks to measure the effectiveness and response of Azure DDoS Protection in a controlled environment.
What is the role of Azure DDoS Protection APIs?
Azure DDoS Protection APIs allow users to manage DDoS Protection Plans and access telemetry data.
How long does it take for Azure DDoS Protection Standard to mitigate a DDoS attack?
Typically, Azure DDoS Protection Standard mitigates DDoS attacks within a few minutes.